By Jordan Long
The Houston Rockets finished the season at 22-60, tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the worst record in the Western Conference. With the poor year, they dismissed Head Coach Stephen Silas from his duties. They are looking for his replacement.
Silas took the Rockets’ job on October 30, 2020. He replaced Mike D’Antoni who announced he wasn’t returning to the organization on September 13, 2020. D’Antoni was successful in his time as Head Coach for the Rockets coaching from 2016 to 2020. His overall record was 217-101, a winning percentage of .682. Houston went to the playoffs every single year under D’Antoni. They never were able to get past the 2nd-round of the NBA playoffs. Silas had big shoes to fill.
Silas had no NBA Head Coaching experience when he was hired by the Rockets. He was an assistant coach in the NBA since 2000. The Rockets were hoping his experience as an NBA assistant would help this team win. It didn’t. He had three years which is long enough to turn the Rockets into a winning team. Silas failed to do so. The Rockets finished with a disappointing record of 56-177 under him, a winning percentage of .250. The Rockets are now looking for a new Head Coach. They need one with NBA Head Coaching experience.
There are two who make the most sense, Terry Stotts and Frank Vogel. Stotts has coached 1,003 NBA games with the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Portland Trail Blazers. His overall coaching record is 517-486, a winning percentage of .515. His teams earned a playoff spot 9 times. The furthest he coached a team was in 2019. Portland advanced to the Western Conference Finals but were swept by the Golden State Warriors. Stott’s track record shows he could be successful as the next Head Coach of the Rockets.
Vogel is another option. He has coached 820 NBA games for the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, and L.A. Lakers. His overall record is 431-389, a winning percentage of .526. His teams went to the playoffs 7 times. Vogel coached the Lakers to the NBA Championship in the bubble setting in 2020. He could be another great pick for the Rockets.
The Rockets are going to take their time to find their next Head Coach. This franchise knows it is building a winning team. It may take a few years for them to be a playoff team in the Western Conference. They will take their time but they can’t afford to whiff on this next hire. Whomever it is has a large task in front of them.
Leave a Reply